Karen J. Brewer
Professor
Inorganic Chemistry
E-mail: kbrewer@vt.edu
Office: 1105 Hahn Hall
Phone: 540-231-6579
Fax: 540-231-3255
Group Web Pages: http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/chem-dept/brewer/brewer.html
Research Video Clip: http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/faculty/videos/Brewer.wmv
B.S. 1983 Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC)
Ph.D. 1987 Clemson University
Postdoctoral Fellow 1987-1988 University of California Berkeley
Our research is aimed at the design, development and synthesis of novel mixed-metal transition metal complexes with applications to molecular devices, anticancer agents, catalysis and photochemical energy storage.
Current projects include:
- The development of second generation molecular devices for photoinitiated electron collection,
- The invention of new photoactivated anticancer agents,
- The development of electrode immobilized catalysts for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, and
- The detailed analysis of the spectroscopic, electrochemical and photochemical properties of supramolecular mixed-metal complexes.
Research in chemical education includes the development of integrated molecular modeling, synthesis and spectroscopy laboratories for the undergraduate chemistry curriculum.
- Design Aspects for the Development of Mixed-Metal Supramolecular Complexes Capable of Visible Light Induced Photocleavage of DNA, Alvin A. Holder, Shawn Swavey, and Karen J. Brewer, Inorg. Chem. 2004, 43, 303-308.
- Bridging Ligands, Shawn Swavey, Karen J. Brewer, Comprehensive Coord. Chem. II, 2003, Vol. 1, 135-157.
- Synthesis, Characterization and DNA Binding Properties of a Series of Ru,Pt Mixed-Metal Complexes, R. Lee Williams, H. Nathaniel Toft, Brenda Winkel, Karen J. Brewer, Inorg. Chem. 2003, 42, 4394-4400.
- Visible Light Induced Photocleavage of DNA by a Mixed-Metal Supramolecular Complex: [{(bpy)2Ru(dpp)}2RhCl2]5+, Shawn Swavey and Karen J. Brewer, Inorg. Chem. 2002, 41, 6196-6198.
- Synthesis and Study of Ru,Rh,Ru Triads: Modulation of Orbital Energies in a Supramolecular Architecture, Shawn Swavey and Karen J. Brewer, Inorg. Chem. 2002, 41, 4044-4050.
- Mixed-Metal Supramolecular Complexes Coupling Phosphine Containing Ru(II) Light Absorbers to a Reactive Pt(II) through Polyazine Bridging Ligands, Shawn Swavey, Zhenglai Fang, Karen J. Brewer, Inorg. Chem. 2002, 41, 2598-2607.
